The Illusory Arts
by Nagahorn
Summary: What if something changed Naruto's focus from ninjutsu to genjutsu, late in his academy days? Would he give up? No, he'd find a way to succeed, because that's his ninja way!
1. Chapter 1

Summary: What if something changed Naruto's focus from ninjutsu to genjutsu, late in his academy days? Would he give up? No, he'd find a way to succeed, because that's his ninja way!

The Illusory Arts

The Sun shone brightly over Konoha, the Hidden Leaf Village. The thick, fluffy white clouds parted to reveal a magnificent blue sky, filled with birds chirping an ode to nature. Underneath them were the fine citizens of the Leaf, toiling away at their various occupations.

While this was going on, a boy sat in a classroom at the Ninja Academy. That boy's name was Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto was a short, slightly tanned boy with bright spiky blond hair and blue eyes with three whisker marks on each cheek.

Was our hero diligently paying attention to the teacher? No, he was… napping on the desk.

"DARN IT NARUTO, WAKE UP AND PAY ATTENTION!" Iruka shouted at the boy.

Umino Iruka was the chunin instructor in charge of overseeing the education of these fine young minds in the ninja arts. A chunin was one rank above a genin, which these students were studying to become. A jonin, however, was a higher rank than both, and indicated that one was an all around high level shinobi.

"Ack! Sorry Iruka-sensei, I guess I dozed off again. Ehehe…" Naruto sheepishly responded.

Iruka pinched his nose, idly rubbing at the giant scar that went across it. "Naruto, I expected you to at least try a little harder considering this is the year that you may graduate, along with your classmates."

Unnamed side character #1 decides this is his chance to shine.

"Him, graduate? Please, the dead last is more likely to get himself killed practicing."

The other students laughed at Naruto's misfortune while the boy in question silently simmered in his anger, as he didn't want to upset Iruka-sensei again. Unfortunately for Naruto, interactions like this were commonplace.

"Sorry Iruka-sensei, I'll pay attention. What were you talking about again?"

Iruka, glad to see that the students had settled down and were paying attention again, dutifully continued on with his lesson.

"I was talking about the different branches of jutsu. Who can tell me the three main branches of jutsu that we use in combat?"

Haruno Sakura politely raised her hand. "I can, sensei! The three main branches of jutsu are ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu."

"Very good, Sakura! You're absolutely right. Today's lesson however, will focus specifically on genjutsu."

'Ugh, great… I totally suck at genjutsu.' Naruto thought. Little did he know, one of the main reasons he 'sucked' at genjutsu was the giant, malevolent nine tailed fox spirit sealed inside his gut.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what exactly is genjutsu, huh? Well, genjutsu is the use of illusionary techniques to influence one's senses. Unlike ninjutsu and taijutsu, genjutsu is purely illusory, meaning it's all in the mind, and it doesn't cause any direct physical impact."

Naruto wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Boo! That's lame. Who would want to use techniques that cause no damage? Ninjutsu sound way cooler!"

On the inside, though, Naruto was curious how a mental technique could even be useful.

"You'd be surprised, Naruto. The beauty of genjutsu is that it's all in the mind, so theoretically the possibilities are endless. However, to learn more about it you'd have to seek out a genjutsu specialist, since they're the most knowledgeable on such things."

'A genjutsu specialist, huh? Maybe if I could learn this genjutsu stuff, I could prove everyone wrong and I won't be the dead last anymore.' Naruto thought silently. He zoned out for the rest of the lesson, as it was typical for him.

"Well, that's all the time we have for class. I hope you all enjoy your day, and remember to brush up on your studies. We'll be having a pop quiz tomorrow, so come prepared!" Iruka left the students with those parting words.

The students all groaned at that, and began to file out of the classroom, chattering about this and that. Naruto however, remained firmly in his seat, his mind still fixated on today's lesson. Naruto had made up his mind.

'I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually want to learn more about this genjutsu stuff. Now, if only I knew where to find a genjutsu specialist…'

* * *

"Ehh!? You're actually thinking about taking on a genin team?" Anko incredulously asked her best friend, Kurenai, in between eating sticks of dango.

Mitarashi Anko was a special jonin of Konoha. A special jonin is a shinobi who specializes in one area of the shinobi arts, as opposed to regular jonin who excel in all areas equally.

"Well, I think it's about time. Don't you?" Kurenai responded to her friend, uncertain.

Yuhi Kurenai was one of the few genjutsu specialists in all of Konoha. In addition to being an all around jonin level shinobi, it wouldn't be a stretch to say she was the best genjutsu user in the whole village at the moment.

"Hmm… well, I think you'd do good with kids. Personally I can't stand them though, ahahaha!" Anko laughed at her own humor. "Seriously though Nai-chan, you shouldn't think so hard about it. If you really want to teach a squad of genin, just go for it. I know you'll do a great job." Anko encouraged her friend.

Kurenai blushed, in response to her friend's unwavering support for her. "Well, okay then. If you really think I can do it, then I'll give it my best shot."

Kurenai may have been a shy person, but she was a fiercely determined shinobi, and she was resolute on seeing this through. She would take a squad of precocious academy students, and she would make them into damn fine shinobi.

END CHAPTER

* * *

A/N: Uhh… hi. Okay, I'm gonna be honest, this is the first fanfic I've ever written. I've been reading fanfiction for probably 12 years or so, and the thought of writing one hadn't crossed my mind until about a week or so ago. This is basically just a proof of concept, so don't get your hopes too high, I have no idea where I'm going with this. Review if you have any likes, dislikes, comments, complaints, I have thick skin so I'm open to any criticism. Bye!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Naruto sat at home that evening, reading from an introductory genjutsu scroll that all students received from the academy. Despite being so determined earlier, Naruto couldn't make heads or tails out of what he was reading.

"Subtle cues? Sensory processing? What the hell does any of this mean? Argh, I'm never gonna get the hang of genjutsu at this rate! I need some comfort food." Naruto said as he swiftly got up, pulled on his signature orange jacket, and ran right out the door. Hey, he might have been determined, but when it came to studying, Naruto was hardly responsible.

"Ichiraku Ramen, here I come!"

The Ichiraku Ramen stand held a very special place in Naruto's heart, as the owner Teuchi Ichiraku and his daughter Ayame were two of the very few people who didn't actively shun or avoid the boy. Naruto didn't know why so many people ignored him and gave him dirty looks, but he was determined to prove them wrong.

"Hey old man Teuchi, I'll have a bowl of miso ramen, and keep em comin!"

The man in question smiled upon seeing his favorite customer.

"Ah, Naruto! Not that I'm not happy to see you, but it's a school night. Shouldn't you be at home studying, or sleeping?" Teuchi asked the blond.

"Oh not you too, old man! I came here to AVOID the thought of more reading!"

Ayame popped in from the back of the stall, and interjected into the conversation.

"Hey, what's the matter Naruto-kun? Is there something you're having trouble understanding?" Ayame asked, sympathetic to the blond's plight. She and her father knew that the boy had trouble with reading and understanding academics in general.

Naruto smiled at the waitress, happy that someone cared enough to ask, but frowned upon remembering why he was upset in the first place.

"Yeah, I'm trying to learn more about genjutsu which is one of the three shinobi arts, but I just can't understand what it's all about. Maybe I'm just not smart enough…" Naruto trailed off, dejectedly eating his ramen at a more sedate pace.

Ayame glanced at her father, they shared a pointed look. Teuchi nodded, and Ayame turned back to the blond.

"Naruto-kun… I might not be able to help you with whatever it is you're studying, but what I do know is that you're deceptively intelligent, whether you realize it or not. All those pranks you've pulled, while immature, are a testament to what you can accomplish when you really put your mind to something." Ayame encouraged the boy.

"So… you're saying that if I REALLY put my mind to it, then I can learn genjutsu? Naruto asked, uncertain.

This time, Teuchi was the one who answered the boy.

"Well, yes, but it's important that you don't get hung up on something. If you're having trouble understanding something, then move on to something else, or approach it from a different perspective. You seem like the type who wouldn't give up just because you don't understand something. The Naruto we know would keep at it until he gets it down!"

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed, "I won't let these stupid books keep me down. I'm gonna master genjutsu or die trying! Thanks for the help you guys, the ramen was great!" Naruto bolted, but not before leaving a generous tip for the Ichiraku duo.

* * *

Renewed with everlasting vigor, Naruto headed straight for a training ground. Seeing as it was late, most of them were empty anyway.

"Alright… let's do this." Naruto sighed.

What he had planned was highly unconventional, by any means. Normally when one was attempting to learn genjutsu, they would use it on someone else so that they could receive feedback on whether or not the genjutsu was effective. However, Naruto didn't have that luxury. Being a prankster and the lowest academic scorer in the academy had soured his reputation among most, if not all of his peers. Even besides that, he didn't want to burden anyone else with his problems. Naruto was determined to see this through on his own, in his quest to prove everyone wrong.

And so, Naruto's bright idea was to gather up as much chakra as he can, and try to cast a genjutsu on himself or his surroundings. It might not be a very bright idea, but then again, nobody ever accused Naruto of being bright either.

"Haaaaah!" Naruto shouted as he gathered up as much chakra as he possibly could. The ground around him shook slightly as his chakra became visible in a bright blue form, swirling around him.

Then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Having gotten a feel of his chakra, wild and untamed as it was, Naruto proceeded to the part he was having trouble with; namely, the genjutsu itself. Naruto focused all of his chakra inward, and focused on nothing but his senses. Eyes clenched shut tightly in concentration, he focused hard on what he was hearing, and how the air felt around him. Little by little, he could feel his own perception start to change.

'Hey… I think it's working!' Naruto thought excitedly.

However, he may have gotten a bit too excited, as his concentration faltered and he couldn't keep his chakra steady.

"Ahhh…" Naruto sank to the floor in disappointment.

"I thought for sure I had it that time. Oh well, guess I'll just have to keep trying." With that, Naruto casually made his way home, dreams of eating ramen and slinging genjutsu left and right filling his mind.

Unbeknownst to Naruto, someone had felt the full force of his genjutsu, and needless to say… they were unimpressed.

END CHAPTER

* * *

A/N: Uhh… hi again. I still have no clue what I'm doing, but this is actually getting more fun as I go along. Maybe at some point I'll actually have a plot line in here XD. Anyways, review if you want to, I'm welcome to any criticism cuz I really don't know if I'm doing anything wrong, which I probably am. Peace!

Review Responses:

CaptBurrito: Yeah, that's the plan anyways. The idea of Naruto slinging genjutsu all over the place just sounds really funny to me. Now the only thing is to figure out how to get him to that point.


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